metaldog32

Wow it has been truly FOREVER since I've done a review. Gosh..way too long. Anyway..perhaps in another post I'll fill in all the blanks but for now I'm going to keep this short. Olokun is a frimp compliments of the Lab that I just blindly picked..had no idea what the notes were.. I pretty much used the whole frimp on me today mixed with some unscented body lotion to get the full throttle effect. I pretty much got a clean (think softly aquatic/clean/touch of watery floral) that could be great on a guy or girl. Throw was soft and lasting power probably a good 4+ hours..still has a quiet presence on my skin. It is hot and humid in the Garden State so it could be a good warmer weather scent. It kind of reminds me a bit of Sea of Glass in the dry down and I happen own a bottle of that so perhaps not something I would purchase outright but nice enough to try. Truth be told I have more fragrance than I know what to do with... ..variety is the spice of life as far as fragrance goes.

I bought a 5ml because I love Klimt’s work; he was one of my parents’ favorites. Also keep in mind that the 5ml bottle I have is at least 2 years old..I have A LOT of fragrance and well I took a hiatus from buying BPAL due to some personal and financial challenges. Initial sniff from bottle: I get the citrus with a tinge of something dry..could be the pepper. I typically like the idea of pepper but it really depends on my skin chemistry..sometimes it’s just too aggressive and it just overwhelms everything else in its path. Applied wet on skin: It’s the citrus with the amber and a grit which has to be the vetiver..when I first tried it I felt that the pepper was just too damn dominant..eclipsing everything with a dryness but this 2nd time around it seems to be a bit more friendly with the warmth of the amber and the wisps of citrus that weave in. Interestingly enough this doesn’t waft out on me..the throw is actually a bit soft. Couple of minutes later and it’s actually the tobacco that I smell in tandem with the vetiver..pepper and citrus have kind of disappeared and the general roundness that I get has to be that amber. It’s not bad actually. 30 minutes later: It’s the above muted..almost becoming something akin to a skin scent on me. I almost think I can’t smell anything specific anymore…hmph..interesting. So the throw on me is actually quite low and the lasting power is short..surprisingly so because typically notes like vetiver and amber do last HOURS on me..while this kind of disappears in less than 3 hours. Bottom Line:I was ready to write off Three Gorgons regretfully because I thought the pepper initially had been too aggressive and overwhelmed everything but upon repeat tries I was rewarded with a bit more depth. This is not a holy grail type of scent for me and I almost think it’s a bit too gender neutral for me to pull it off. The amber and vetiver and tobacco actually work well with each other and together they translate on my skin a scent that quietly wafts without sceaming its presence. I think I need a couple more tries with this to decide if I can wear this…

Initial sniff from bottle: Something in here reminds me of ozone..it kind of feels powdery a bit and yes dry..there’s an undercurrent of incense underneath it. Not something that wows me but it doesn’t really repel me either..I’m neutral. Applied wet on skin: Still the bit of ozone dry powder thing going on with the incense. I believe YBNB mentioned something in her review about the feel of it or a note that kind of reminds her of something in Urania and I have to agree..it’s a high pitched ozone type of note that I register. Couple of minutes on skin: This really doesn’t bloom that much on me..it’s staying kind of linear as far as what I smelled in the bottle translating on my skin. That high pitched dry ozone-y like note with a bit of incense underneath it..kind of powdery..not registering anything else. 2 hours later:-The high pitched ozone-y note has faded away and I’m left with a dry muted incense note. I can sort of see what other people refer to golden and resinous but honestly I’m not sure if I’m allowing the imagery of the description of the scent to color my impression. The throw on this not very strong; it’s a bit close to the skin on me and yet the lasting power is pretty good..about 4+ hours. I’ve worn this about 3 times to get a decent gauge on it. Bottom Line: Ozymandias is tolerant enough but on me it renders unremarkable. The notes just sit on me and basically do nothing else..no wafting to something truly evocative. It’s linear and there’s nothing wrong with that..the bottle I inherited from my sister will need to find another home that will love it for the remarkable things it does on someone else’s skin chemistry-I’m meh with it.

Of course I had to get this when it was revisited in 2005 because of it being my ruling planet. Sniff from bottle: Sweet florals…I can’t discern anything individual but maybe ylang ylang?A bit of jasmine? Moonflower maybe? Visual I get when I close my eyes is cool moonlight streaming brightly on a garden bathing the flowers in a silvery light. Applied wet on skin:: For some reason I’m getting a wisp of something herbal along with the florals..getting a bit more jasmine now..am still thinking maybe ylang ylang and yes..something reminding me of cherries sort of..not the cough syrup cherry I get in other blends but fresh juicy cherries and it’s on the tail end. Couple of minutes on skin: It’s jasmine forward and it’s a bit drier..for some reason I keep registering something green and a bit herbal ..but it retains a degree of sweetness that is not cloying. Moonlit jasmine floral indeed. 10 min later I’m wondering if this may have frangipani in here? Something else with the jasmine makes this seem sweet and silvery white..really liking this. Half an hour later-Same as above just softened. Lasting power clocks in at about 5+hours with throw average. Bottom Line: Luna works for me; the jasmine and other silvery feeling florals in here really evoke the namesake. I like this for spring/summer-especially in the evening.

Honey, quince, vanilla, white cognac, Spanish mandarin, and golden tobacco. I ended up getting a decant of this because of all the hoopla on the forum regarding this scent. It sounded like a slam dunk of theShungas with the honey, quince, and golden tobacco. It sounded golden, sweet and perhaps a tad smoky; what could go wrong? PLENTY. Initial sniff from decant: Tart fruit drenched syrup and booze..this makes me queasy. Applied wet on skin: Super tart quince in the forefront with mandarin nipping at her heels..with the cognac rearing its boozy head and roaring. I don’t do well with boozy scents and this is no exception. Couple of minutes on skin:Same notes roaring on but now the tobacco has showed up so it’s super sweet boozy fruit with a side order of tobacco amping on me. On my skin it just smells like boozy fruit with notes of cigar-good quality cigar but cigar nonetheless. This just doesn’t translate well on me. 10 minutes later:Softened but the combo of the sweet booze and tobacco still doesn’t suit me. 30 min later :It’s become very muted indeed…hovering close to my skin..faint echoes of what it was previously. Lasting power is actually pretty good 5+hours with throw average. Bottom Line:AMOTMS was one of the Shungas I was hoping was going to be spectacular on me and ended up being a shocking FAIL.I tried this 3 times to make sure that it wasn’t a fluke and unfortunately it wasn’t. Too syrupy sweet, boozy and fruity for me to carry and the tobacco which I was hoping would temper it and make it more wearable ended up becoming a supporting character of the overall debacle on my skin. I wish I had the success of other people but alas it is not meant to be. Can’t win ‘em all.

Haloes.... I received this decant as a “freebie” from a generous forumite as part of my purchase of some Lupers so I’m sending some “love” ..thank you for being so wonderful. I had the opportunity to buy some retail exclusive oils when they first came out; I went to Shelldoo’s nail shop and walked away with a bottle of To Autumn actually but I don’t really recall if I liked or disliked Haloes. Guess I’m going to find that out now. For the record I tend to do well with blends that contain amber and ginger; apricot/tonka/vanilla are all notes I like but I’m hoping that this doesn’t translate as “foody” on me. Intial sniff from decant-I smell mostly golden sweetness..could be the vanilla or tonka..not getting much of the apricot or oak or ginger or florals. Applied wet on skin:-Hmmm..this is interesting..really soft on me even applied wet;kind of just getting some vanilla sweetness..again no fruit or florals or ginger to speak of… Couple of minutes on skin:My skin is basically eating this up I’m afraid..if I shove my nose right up to my wrist I get some sweetness..but nothing jumps out at me..this sucks. 30 min later-More of the same..just basically invisible throw and very faint snuggly sweetness. The throw on this is negligible at best but the lasting power was decent; 5+hours although it was very soft. Bottom Line: Haloes seem to hold so much promise but apparently I’m not a lucky recipient of it’s gifts. This basically went MIA on me in a matter of minutes so the decant is enough for me. From what I can gather on my skin it sort of had the same type of feel as in Glowing Vulva At Ryogoku Bridge so maybe I can layer the two.

2007 version I think I had purchased this for my sister but she decided she didn’t like it so she gave it back to me. Let’s see if I can make this work for me Initial sniff from bottle: I smell something fruity..and it’s a bit tart so I’m thinking it’s quince instead of the apple peel with a wisp of some floral. Applied wet on skin:Hello there jasmine..it’s in the forefront with the fruit.. Couple of minutes on skin:Jasmine is softening and working really beautifully with the myrrh that has now decide to make an appearance and it’s working in tandem with the jasmine..I’m liking this vibe..slightly heady..kind of lazily seducing me a bit. Fruit has softened considerably to the background but it’s not invisible. 10 minutes laterWonderful jasmine blend with notes of myrrh, sandalwood and the soft musk making it’s appearance in a subtle fashion. Lovely sensual floral that doesn’t scream it’s vibe but just wafts lazily around you. Fruit has kind of become MIA but I’m okay with that. 30 min later -This has become a very muted but not invisible jasmine with the sandalwood and interestingly enough the thyme backing it up. I wasn’t too sure about the thyme..I mean I registered it’s herbal presence but I couldn’t really figure out what the point of it was in here..but maybe with the sandalwood it kind of grounds this..so it doesn’t become this huge terrifying jasmine but instead is the lazy somewhat sensual waft of jasmine/sandalwood/myrrh cloud that just hangs about me. Lasting power is average 4+hours with the throw starting off moderate and ending soft and close to the skin. Bottom Line: The Perfumed Garden is a jasmine blend that I quite enjoy because of the threads of fruit, sandalwood and herb. It’s incredibly feminine and a gives off a slightly lazy sensuality. I think this would work well for evening but I wouldn’t say no to this if I wanted really embrace my feminine side at work either. The throw on me is muted enough that it could be work appropriate. Night blooming jasmine to me almost always triggers to my mind summer evenings so I think I’ll be reaching for this often in the upcoming months.

I was lucky enough to purchase a decant from Delirium1009-thank you. I love lilac; it’s one of my favorite flowers so I’m hoping this is a win for me. Intial sniff from decant:I get mostly the oolong tea, some sort of floral and the lavender. Applied wet on skin-Okay..still the tea but the lilac is coming though a bit as well ..but it’s muddled..I’m still getting more of the other florals and the musk. Still not registering the ginger. Couple of minutes on skin-Still the oolong tea in the forefront..with the florals right behind it….very pretty..but not as lilac-forward on me as I had hoped. 30 min later- Wow..on me this is primarily the oolong tea with the non lilac florals backing it up and the lavender on the tail end . Either the lilac is so well blended I can’t tell or it’s MIA with the ginger. It’s actually really pretty but again..I was hoping for something a bit more lilac-forward. Lasting power is clocked around3-4 hours and throw is soft to average. Bottom Line Needlework to me is a great choice for a cool summer floral. It’s delicate and cool; I wish I had more lilac translate on me and because of this the decant is all I need. I’ll keep up my search for the perfect lilac outside of Frederic Malle’s En Passant..hehehe

In the bottle -Sweet caramelized sugar..almost burnt. Applied wet on skin: Super caramelized sugar..underneath is wisp of chimney dust..and I think that violets are adding to the super sweetness with the caramelized sugar…I think also that the violet with it’s typically “powdery” vibe is tricking me into thinking I’m smelling the chimney dust…I like it so far. 10 minutes on skin-Oooooo..this is really turning very nice on me. The violet is sheer now..and I get a little bit of lily in the forefront with the sweets/charcoal in the back. The throw on me right now is soft but not invisible. Hour later This does seem like Sugar Skull with violets and candy charcoal. It’s softened up considerably on my skin but isn’t invisible at all with the throw soft. I still keep getting little wafts of the candy sweetness with the dust.. Staying power is impressive -10+hours Bottom Line: La Befana is an interesting reiteration of a candy/sweet fragrance; although not normally what I gravitate towards I find the charcoal the note that seals the deal for me to keep it in my collection. Not something I will pick regularly but it does fit the niche for perhaps late winter rotation.

Initial sniff from bottle: Pulsing red musk backed by wisps of sweetness..I do actually get the melon at the tail end. It smells red to me but not “red hot fire” or “Red Hots Cinnamon” but rather red hot sexy. Applied wet on skin: It’s the red musk and pomegranate..fruit/red musk duo doing it’s thing..the orange blossom is in the back..just hanging out. Have no idea where the melon went. Couple of minutes on skin- Red musk is working seamlessly with the orange blossom right now..so it’s sweet but not cloyinly so..with the sexy musk working it’s magic with the other notes. Pomegranate I don’t get up close but the waft from my arm still confirms that the tart fruit is still hanging around. Can’t be sure about the melon.just not getting a good read. 30 min later:-Still very much present on me and it’s a heady sexy musk/floral/fruit blend. It kind of reminds me of my other favorite red musk blend Glasya. Lasting power is impressive-6+ hours with throw moderate to strong. Bottom Line; Semiramis is quite the sexy blend; if you like red musk then this blend is up your alley. The tart pomegranate with the sweet orange blossom work seamlessly with that red musk on me and I definitely would wear this for dates or going out in the evening with friend to snare someone..hehehe.

Metal Phoenix-2008 Of course I had to get this phoenix..it is my natural element in Chinese astrology and one I seem to identify with to a great degree. I also like the smell of cold metal; so I was hopeful that perhaps that would translate into this scent. Initial sniff from bottle: Sweet floral with mallow..if I close my eyes the visual I get is gleaming cool white floral. No “metal” note that I get as of now. Applied wet on skin:A wisp of that metal is there..yes..and it’s nice..I think I get a bit of the carnation along with the sweet honeysuckle and mallow..the tail end is a wisp of verbena which adds a crispness but doesn’t veer into ill-fated Lemon Pledge territory..thank goodness. 5-10 minutes later-Musk has appeared on the forefront but it’s not overwhelming..it works nicely with the floral notes and the mallow..they are however now in the background. 30 min later-At points I did smell the metallic coolness interspersed with the musk and florals but Darn…it’s almost all gone on me! If I huff obsessively at my wrist I think I still smell the musk but is has basically sunken into my skin. Staying power is nominal on me-sadly-and the throw is soft to average. Bottom Line: Metal Phoenix is a bit like an airy gleaming white floral that flits with the cool metallic; I wish I could have enjoyed it a bit more longer on my skin but all this confirms to me is that I will need to re-apply often during the day. I like this for spring.

This is going to be my 200th review..wow.. Chaos Theory V-Recursive Self Similarityv4-“Snake Oil”Series CCXCIV-294 I have never tried the legendary Snake Oil but I have tried some Vipers so I think I have a general idea of what to look for. Again..I bought this back when CT was live..so it’s aged at least a year. Initial sniff from bottle: Snake Oil..and I whiff deeply I think I smell some sort of fruit..maybe some red musk??? Applied wet on skin: Snake Oil and something fruity..I keep thinking it’s a red fruit or maybe something akin to melon..but I can’t be sure. I also think I’m getting some red musk but again..I can’t be sure. Couple of minutes on skin:-Not so much the fruity accord but SO with I think red musk. I also think I’m getting some sort of floral..perhaps chrysanthemum? I like it. Half an hour later- It’s still now just muted SO with traces of the mum and red musk. This blend kind of mimicked to a degree Bien Loin D’Ici and Mum Moon..so I’m thinking that perhaps this does have either red musk or opium or the mums in here..beating under the SO. Spicy floral with red musk/fruit under a layer of SO..that’s where I’m going with this… I’m wracking my brain…because I can’t seem to think what exactly this reminds me of..when BAM …I think I got it. In the beginning I think my CT is like Warrior Queen Semiramis but with SO. WOW. Reason? I actually have a bottle of this WQ and I remember dabbing some on last year; the pomegranate and juicy melon counterbalanced the assertive musk I remember..and that is what slammed into my head while I walked around my apt trying to figure out what this CT reminded me of.. Dry--It’s all just the vanilla/resin/spicy sweetness of SO muted into my skin now.. Lasting power clocks in about 4+hours with throw moderate. Bottom Line: Since I don’t own an actual bottle of Snake Oil this reiteration of the aforementioned kind of fits my niche. It started off a bit sexy and pulsing with fruit and musk but in the end it was closer to it’s original manifestation. I think it would work well in late summer through winter.

Glowing Vulva at Ryogoku Bridge I’ve had this for quite some time; purchased it when it was live in 2008. I go through phases; I have a bit of a hoarders propensity when it comes to BPAL. I needed to create a bit of distance from my stash; I needed some time with my other fragrances. I also needed to rein in my spending; too much of a good thing doesn’t work for me..alas. ANYWAY..I missed my BPAL..missed experiencing and writing my journey with scent so that’s why I’m doing this now. I want to enjoy what I have. So..with no further ado: Initial sniff from bottle: Smells buttery..almost foody…and I get a twinge of perfumey sharpness..maybe that’s the teak? Not sure I’m getting any of the other notes. Looking back on previous posts I see I’m not the only one registering the “perfumey” slant so that’s good to know. Applied wet on skin: It’s the cream with that slightly sharp perfume note which I’m assuming is the teak..the amber’s underneath it all..giving it roundness and warmth and depth..there’s a wisp of something sweet like..but I woudn’t have recognized it as lotus blossom..but that could just be because I’m not experienced enough with identifying notes. Couple of minutes on skin:Creamy muted teak thrust in golden warm amber. All very smooth. Not foody to my nose..I like it. 10 minutes later:It’s creamy amber and it’s nice. Am going to go shovel snow; see how my wrist behaves after some exertion. 2 HOURS LATER.... Dry: It’s still this smooth golden sweet warmth with that twinge of teak twinkling softly. Lasting power is impressive 6+hours with throw moderate. Bottom Line: GVARB is popular and for good reason; I enjoy wearing it and can see reaching for it in late winter and early spring. Keeper indeed.

Chaos Theory V-Recursive Self Similarity-“O”Series LVIII-58 Definition of recursive-pertaining to or using a rule or procedure that can be applied repeatedly. A while back (2009) I tried this several times to get a sense of what I was smelling. I failed miserably. I still think I’m going to fail miserably because although I think I have a good sense of smell my olfactory discernment is incredibly limited. I hope that I get my sh*t together to send imps of my CT’s to people on this forum who have the sophistication to tell me what they smell because I’m so very limited in this fashion. In ANY case..I will do my best. Disclaimer: I think I’ve only smelled O once so I don’t have a lot to base my impressions on. Sniffed from bottle: Beachy O; best way I can describe it. It’s that honey sweetness intermingled with an accord that I identify with BPAL scents that are “beachy”. The vibe to me here is laid back and casual. There’s no salty seawater or any ozone notes here..but this blend reminds me a bit of Pirate Moon.. or maybe Jolly Roger…just a tad. Am thinking that maybe this has a touch of bay rum in here? I found an imp of Baron Samedi and took a sniff; I’m pretty sure what I’m smelling my CT is bay rum. Applied wet on skin: Same as in the bottle; just reminds me of summer..a relaxing day at the beach. Couple of minutes on skin: It’s become very much a skin scent..not very assertive in it’s throw..still keeping the initial elements but it’s muted a bit. 10+minutes: More muted echoes of O intermingled with my skin..again the feeling of this is a laid back/slightly sweet/beachy fragrance. Dry(30+minutes):This is still wafting out nicely; it’s more the “O” elements but underneath that is what I think is bay rum. Throw is average and lasting power clocked in at about 4+hours Bottom Line: It’s unisex and makes me think o warmer weather; honeyed beachy bay rum is what I come away with. I’m not in love but I do like it.

Initial sniff from bottle: For me the strongest note wafting out is the red currant; it’s tart and behind it I believe it’s some sort of sweetness which I will assume is the vanilla and/or benzoin. Not getting any of the other notes. I like the sharpness of the currant with the undercurrent of sweetnes..it’s bracing. Applied wet on skin: Tart currant and yes the blueberry…it’s the two if them with the green tea and a wisp of ginger..it smells fruity but not cloyingly sweet.. Couple of minutes on skin: The fruit punch has softened..and I’m getting more of the vanilla/ginger/benzoin. I detect a “freshness” on the back end and I’m thinking that’s the coriander. Still enjoying this immensely. Not sure I register the red musk which is odd because I usually can pick that out from the get-go. Ten minutes later: Red musk has moved a bit to the forefront but the aura of the fruit creates a lovely veil over it with the sweetness of the vanilla/benzoin. Green tea and ginger are very muted and are in the back as wisps. 30 min later: It’s all now just musk and sweetness..but the throw around me is still that bracing fruit..I really enjoy this blend. The throw on this is impressive and lasting power is good-6+hours. Bottom Line: I think I really like this because for some reason it kind of reminds me in feel a bit of Hungry Ghost Moon..it’s that heady ginger/vanilla/tea mix shot through with the sharp fruit that makes this so appealing to me. The coriander added a bit of freshness and the musk gives it longevity. I’m not a huge fan of fruity scents but this one really works for me so I’m keeping it and loving it. I like to wear it when I want to embrace the pretty/girly side of me. I also think this would work quite nicely in summer.